FAA Special Rule 366

Our hobby is currently exempt from full FAA regulation under Special Rule 366. However, the exemption may expire in September of this year unless Congress votes to extend it again.

If they don't, anyone flying RC would be required by law to obtain an FAA license. That entails in-person testing and considerable fees.

The current $5 registration and placing of an FAA issued number on all RC aircraft is being ignored by many. Chances of being caught and prosecuted are very slim. However, should the FAA take over, that may change. Instead of local police or sheriff departments being the enforcement agent (they have better things to do), FAA agents would be in charge. Fines for non-compliance could be significant.

Our hobby is currently exempt from full FAA regulation under Special Rule 366. However, the exemption may expire in September of this year unless Congress votes to extend it again.

If they don't, anyone flying RC would be required by law to obtain an FAA license. That entails in-person testing and considerable fees.

The current $5 registration and placing of an FAA issued number on all RC aircraft is being ignored by many. Chances of being caught and prosecuted are very slim. However, should the FAA take over, that may change. Instead of local police or sheriff departments being the enforcement agent (they have better things to do), FAA agents would be in charge. Fines for non-compliance could be significant.

If Special Rule 366 is not renewed, what will you do? Please vote.

From what I understand, Congress will not need to be involved in order for Rule 366 to be extended.....the FAA was given the authority at the time the Rule was passed by Congress, to extend or retract deadlines and even raise or lower fees regarding their enforcement of all UAS recreational "hobby" sport craft......If the FAA desires to change the format or language of the current "enforceable" law, then Congress must get involved.
There are a few commercial UAS rules that have expiring "curfews".......many of those will not need Congress intervention as well. In those cases, unless a local governing body or the FAA it's self desire to change format or language related to current "enforceable" law, Congress will require amendments to be approved by a special council already appointed to facilitate such.....

Hell.......my "local authorities" not just AMA rep's, have much bigger fish to fry than bug them with a RC recreation......Like homeless living in my RC recreation spaces, harboring illegal border busters, issuing drivers licenses to illegal border busters, letting illegal border busters vote.......the list goes on and on.....I live in a sanctuary County........I'd rather spend my energy helping the legit representatives around here with things that effect my families and friends personal well being.

Anyway, given the money, strength and influence the AMA lobbyists have (most here at WF have no idea who actually throws large amount of $$$ at the AMA).... like birdDog has posted, one is probably better off (non members included) using that resource to "fill" a Govt. rep's mailbox.....:

Like them or not.....they are truly the biggest influence this hobby has......If you don't believe that, you haven't done your homework.....

I griped when the FAA registration started, everyone said "it's only 5 bucks"... I said yeah, for now.

I saw this coming back then, it is only going to get worse guys. Our dollars are minuscule in the grand scheme of things but our Gov't is like that movie the blob, it just keeps ever expanding and consuming everything in its path.

I try to be neutral as I work for the Federal Gov't but that also give me an insight as to how things work. It is not pretty and we will do whatever we can to get every penny we can. I work for the National Park Service and to be quite honest I do everything I can just to get the funds to operate my communications center, but our radio system is outdated and failing and just to replace that is going to be about $6 million. now multiply that exponentially across all other branches of the gov't and projects that need doing. The park service alone has a $4 billion backlog of maintenance issues and that is one branch of the Dept of Interior. The USAF has to fix and F-22 that had a belly up landing this weekend...probably in the 10's of millions to fix... And all this is just for real stuff, that needs doing, now add all the waste in. ugh

The Gov't will not stop trying to get your money... no matter if it's 5 bucks or 500, but they will not stop trying to make it more either. It's coming, be ready.

Allow me to play devils advocate for a moment. What if we let the special rule go what will be the difference? You will need to get a 107 which is almost agreeing to the same rules as the AMA, which we pay for. Could all this current hype be because the AMA is struggling or desperate to prove that it needs to exist?

Allow me to play devils advocate for a moment. What if we let the special rule go what will be the difference? You will need to get a 107 which is almost agreeing to the same rules as the AMA, which we pay for. Could all this current hype be because the AMA is struggling or desperate to prove that it needs to exist?

My fear is, should special rule 366 go away, the FAA will implement a whole group of new rules regarding the hobby, and they may not necessarily be with the best interests of the hobby in mind. Our "hobby" craft may be lumped in with full sized kit built aircraft, and you would have to undergo the registration process for every model you flew, and require medical clearances to fly them. Manufacturers (ARF, kit, etc) would have to submit paperwork certifying their craft was airworthy.

As far as I can see, the only rule they have implemented so far is the requirement for every model pilot to register, and display their FAA number on every aircraft they fly. Other than that, if you abide by the AMA guidelines, they aren't too concerned with you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishbonez

That certainly is a possibility but seems like the extreme to me.

My fear is this is a power grab by companies such as Amazon or any other company that would like to dabble in delivery by drone. Getting rid of us would clear up the "airspace" for them.

Id also be curious to hear from others so I pose the question again so what do you think the difference would be if we just "let it go"?

The FAA rules, forms, and, of course, fees (!) are already written and in place for small kit built aircraft. It would be easy for them to just use what they have, at least at first, instead of writing new regulations.

I doubt Amazon really cares about my flying at an AMA field. Should they get the go-ahead to use delivery drones (my body shudders at that thought) they would be regulated as commercial flight, not hobby.

Personally, I would like to see all FPV banned for hobby use. Although some do enjoy using it in a responsible manner, the drones you read about in the news flying where they shouldn't be are being flown BVR with the help of FPV. FPV equipment would only be needed by companies such as Amazon, and they could be required to pay hefty fees to obtain a license that would be required for purchase. That would stop 99% of the idiots with their drones that have caused 100% of this whole mess to begin with.

One of the reasons I fly on my own property out of town. I hate to let this well know fact about the FAA out, but unless they have you in their crosshairs and out to get you. You donít have to worry about the feds showing up at your flying field on weekends or federal holidays because they have to get overtime pay approved. Get out of town and have fun, your model has no idea about regs, the heck with the FAA.

One of the reasons I fly on my own property out of town. I hate to let this well know fact about the FAA out, but unless they have you in their crosshairs and out to get you. You donít have to worry about the feds showing up at your flying field on weekends or federal holidays because they have to get overtime pay approved. Get out of town and have fun, your model has no idea about regs, the heck with the FAA.

I've already been assimilated, so it's a moot subject for me. I knew multirotors were going to be trouble from they day they were hatched. But would anyone listen? Noooooooo. We all embraced them as one of our own, and now were being dragged down into the sewers with them.

Then, of course there are the idiots at Amazon (which, ironically, also sells model aircraft... (emphasis added))

FPV just has too much temptation to too many people to fly into areas where they just shouldn't be flying. Without FPV, you wouldn't be able to see your aircraft (multirotor, helicopter, fixed wing) that far out.